Hot chocolate and the superpipe keep teens coming

If you ask the staff of Teen Style how many days they spend at the Steamboat Ski Area during the winter, they'll ask you how many days the ski area is open. The two numbers will be pretty close.

Jenny Lee, 17, and Kelly Northcutt, 16, guessed they were on the mountain six days a week.

"I've probably spent more days up there than in my house," Northcutt said.

So when it came time to debate this month's Hot Topic, the Teen Style staff wanted to talk about the ski area and improvements they'd like to see to their favorite playground.

As they started to talk about the ski area, it became clear they spent most of their time in the SoBe Terrain Park.

"I probably spend 10 hours a week in the terrain park," Lee said. "The park is really popular among the younger generation of skiers and snowboarders. It's getting crowded."

Lee said she thinks the park should be expanded. As its popularity has grown, freestyle skiers and snowboarders are tripping over one another, she said. "The sport is evolving so much, and Steamboat is stuck in a small space."

Heather Thomsen, spokeswoman for the Steamboat Ski Area, said there were no plans to expand the terrain park in the coming season, but a five-year master plan includes widening certain trails.

Even if the terrain park is increasingly popular, it doesn't stop Lee from going there. She spends most of her time in the Mavericks Superpipe. "Nothing needs to be changed there. I love the (superpipe)," she said.

After a long day of riding rails and searching for powder stashes in the trees, the Teen Style staff likes to head down to the base area for a free cup of hot chocolate from the Ambassadors.